The prior art has suggested many methods for installing a surface covering material on a surface such as a floor surface, wall surface, counter top, ceiling, upholstery substrates or the like. Many types of adhesives or adhesive products have been used, but the type of adhesive used depends to a large extent upon the use to which the surface covering will be subjected, as well as the nature of the surface covering material and the surface being covered. For example, the adhesive used for laying vinyl sheet goods on a concrete floor is substantially different than the adhesive used for applying wall paper to a gypsum-board wall.
Surface covering materials have increased tremendously in popularity in recent years, and the large variety of surface covering materials on the market as well as the many decorative patterns and textures available has added to the popularity of such materials.
One disadvantage of prior art methods for installing surface covering materials has been the skill and craftsmanship required of the installer. This skill is required because frequently the surface covering material is applied to a substrate having an uneven surface contour, and the adhesive must be used to at least partially compensate for the irregularities in the surface of the substrate.
Thus taking floor coverings as an example, the most commonly used method of laying floor covering such as polyvinyl chloride sheet goods and the like has been to meter a suitable mastic to the substrate using a notched trowel to leave a rib or corrugated coating of mastic on the substrate surface. The mastic is allowed to dry for approximately one half-one hour to a tacky condition before the surface covering is applied thereto. A notched trowel is used primarily as a metering device to control the amount of adhesive spread on the substrate. This type of installation requires a skilled worker to lay down an even coating of the mastic.
The surface coverings of the type formed from a polyvinyl halide layer with or without a felt backing layer such as of cellulose or asbestos fibers or of a natural or synthetic foam or sponge layer will transmit any irregularities in the surface to which it is applied to its wear surface. Therefore any irregularities in the sub-floor will appear as such in the finished floor unless the mastic is skillfully applied and rolled so as to even out the irregularities of the adhesive.
In the case of carpeting, much carpeting uses a foam rubber backing sheet laminated to the carpeting to provide a resilient feel as well as to help in eliminating the effects of any sub-floor irregularities. This type of surface covering is most commonly applied by means of a double-faced adhesive tape for bonding the carpeting to the sub-floor.
Another method for installing surface covering which has become quite popular both for carpeting and vinyl surface covering is the use of adhesive-backed tiles which are sold with an adhesive coating on the back and a cover sheet protecting the adhesive backing. For use, the cover sheet is removed and the adhesive coated tiles are pressed into place on the sub-floor.
Another type of system used for installing surface coverings is found both in the floor covering and wall covering field. This consists of a solvent-activatable adhesive-coated sheet of surface covering. Thus, wallpaper having a water activatable adhesive on the back is a common product, and the floor tile having an adhesive which may be activated by an alcohol is also a common product.
In the surface covering industry, any steps of applying an adhesive to the back of the surface covering results in increased cost of the product, thus making it somewhat less desirable, commercially. On the other hand, the use of a mastic which is applied to the sub-floor by skilled workers also increases the installed cost of the surface covering, even though the initial cost of the material may be less.
Accordingly, a primary object of the present invention is to provide a method for installing a surface covering material without requiring costly additional processing of the material.
Another object of this invention is to provide a method for installing a surface covering material which does not require expensive, skilled labor.
Yet a further object of this invention is to provide an easily used adhesive.
Still another object of this invention is to provide a method for installing surface covering material using a foam adhesive.
Still a further object of this invention is to provide a metod for installing surface covering on a sub-floor which is easier and quicker than prior art methods.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide an adhesive which has a longer open time than prior art adhesive compositions.
Still a further object of this invention is to provide a method for applying an adhesive to a sub-surface so as to obtain wide coverage of the sub-surface from a relatively narrow, thick laydown of adhesive.
Yet a further object of this invention is to provide a system for surface covering installation using a foamed adhesive which may readily collapse under the pressure of the surface covering material during installation so as to not leave any unsightly lumps, while providing even coverage of adhesive.
Still another object of this invention is to provide an aerosol package foamed adhesive for use in installing surface covering materials.
Still another object of this invention is to provide a foamable adhesive composition comprising a filled, vinyl acrylic copolymer latex emulsion.
A further object of this invention is to provide an adhesive for surface coverings and the like which has a good resistance to any deleterious effects caused by the plasticizer in the vinyl material.